COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has welcomed the rescheduling of the first parliamentary elections from May 12 to Oct. 13 as it could provide ample time to resolve underlying issues in the region.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed the measure postponing the elections last week.
Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim said that the extension supports a more stable transition.
“We remain committed to upholding democratic principles, fostering meaningful political participation, and maximizing the transition period to establish a more stable and effective government for the Bangsamoro,” Ebrahim said in a statement.
Lawmakers and local government officials in the region have appealed for the postponement of the elections to give time to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to resolve issues amid the exclusion of Sulu province from the BARMM.
Among the issues that need to be ironed out was the impact of the Supreme Court ruling that excluded Sulu.
Lawmakers in the region have yet to resolve the redistribution of the seven parliamentary seats allocated to Sulu.
Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia said that they want to know the BARMM’s plan on the parliamentary seats assigned to Sulu.
“We want to know how the distribution of the seven parliamentary seats that originally belonged to Sulu will be handled,” said Garcia.